Time of Sacrifice
by Ghost501
Summary: Annabeth's been gravely injured in Tarturus. How far will Percy go to assure her safety?


Quick announcement: This will probably be the last story I write for this week and next week. So no updates for now, but I will be back. I would write next week, but I'll be very busy next week. But I'll still brainstorm a few ideas, so hopefully I have some new stories coming out on the week of August 5th. Finally, please check my page for a poll. I have two story idea but I don't know which one I should do first. They are _I Still See You_, a sequel to this story, and _I'll Never Leave You_. I think that they will both be romances, but then again _Breaking Inside_ was supposed to be a one shot. Either way, I'll have a poll up. And now without further delay, on with the story!

_I Still See You_ - Set after the war, Percy, though a mortal, can still see monsters. What happens when you take your demigod girlfriend on a date and you still have some enemies after you.

_I'll Never Leave You_ - Percy's and Annabeth's travels through Tarturus.

* * *

_'Safe. I have to keep her safe.' _ Percy thought as he carried his dying girlfriend bridal style through the dark lands of Tarturus. Annabeth lay shivering due to fever in his arms. She had tried to get him to stop walking. She had tried to get him to leave her. But he hadn't. And if she was being honest, she didn't want her to leave him.

They had thought things were finally going their way once Annabeth had been able to walk on her own with the need to lean on Percy. But a demigod's luck could only last so long. They had fallen into a small hole while trying to outrun a group of monsters. When they had landed in the pit, Annabeth complained about falling on something sharp. When she got up, she had realized that she had fallen on a pit scorpion. It was a baby, much smaller than the one that had attacked Percy all those years ago.

They had thought that maybe the baby's tail hadn't stung her. However, the worst was apparent when she had thrown up soon after escaping from the hole. She had taken a bite of ambrosia in order to try and stop the poison. But the best the godly food seemed to do was slow it down.

Within a few hours, she had barely been able to walk. Percy had taken over the traveling issue, but he could feel her slipping away. He looked down at her. Her pale face was drenched with sweat. Her dirty princess curls were plastered on her face. He would have brushed them out the way, but there was no way to do that and hold onto Annabeth at the same time.

He continued to push forward. He had maybe a few hours to get her some help before she would die. _'Please. Someone. Anyone out there. Please, I don't care what happens to me. Just let me get her safe. Please.'_

* * *

When he stumbled into the dragon's cave, he thought he was done for. But, it turns out that sometimes a demigod's luck could be like an on/off switch. It was just that in most cases, it was off.

_"Who are you?"_ he could feel the dragon's power even before he saw it. Its yellow eyes seem to almost glow gold. Its green scales reminded Percy of an emerald.

"Percy Jackson." The boy said.

_"And that must be Annabeth Chase in your arms. Is it not?"_

"Yes it is. How do you know that?"

_"I am Ladon, the guardian of the golden apples. The gods told me of your unfortunate descent down here."_

Percy saw a faint yellow glow behind the dragon, "The golden apples?"

_"Yes, objects as such great power that they grant immortality to the person who eats them."_

"Oh. I thought they were in a tree though."

_"Originally they were. But the gods decided that having that much power on Olympus may have been to inviting towards their enemies. So, they stripped the tree of its apples and put them here in Tarturus. Most monsters don't come here because they either are hell bent on revenge against those who sent them back to this hell or fearful of my power."_

"Um, I don't mean to be insulting but other than being a dragon, you really don't seem that powerful."

_"I let myself go unnoticed by you because I could see your predicament." _Before Percy could ask another question, _"Nothing happens in this part of Tarturus that I don't know about. Didn't you wonder why you hadn't seen any monsters in this area? Only gods are foolish enough to come here. But most don't because they are already immortal and would rather not have their lackeys becoming immortal to cause them trouble for eternity. So yes, it is quite easy for me to get information in this area of hell."_

"So, did you call me here?"

_"No, I did not. You must have just walked here subconsciously. But I may be able to help your current situation." _The dragon flicked his eyes to the blonde girl in his arms, _"She will not last much longer here. I can take her. I can take you both out of Tarturus and bring you back up to the surface. Back to Camp Half-Blood."_

"What how can you…"

_"Other than the gods that are trapped here, I am one of the most powerful creatures in Tarturus. However, it will take some time to return back to surface. In order to leave, I will need your help."_

"Anything. I'll do anything in order to save her." Percy said.

_"Anything? Even if what I need is all of your demigod powers."_

"Huh?"

_"You are one of the most powerful demigods that the world has ever known. I will need someone of immense power in order to cover my absence. So, I will use your power to create an image of myself. A copy to stand in my place until I can return to protect the apples. But I will warn you. When we return back up to the surface, you will no longer be a demigod. When I take your powers, I will take all your abilities. You will no longer be a son of Poseidon."_

"So you mean…I'll be a mortal."

_"Yes. Now, I do not know if yo__u may will still be able to see through the Mist or_ what implications this has on the prophecy. But if you wish, I can bring you both back to your home."

Percy thought for a moment. Would the others really need him as a demigod? I mean Jason was a very capable fighter. Nico was becoming a fine swordsman. Frank was almost like a son of Neptune. He looked back down at the love of his life shivering in his arms. No, if anything happened to her, well, he wasn't sure what he would do. He stared back at the dragon, knowing what he had to do, "Do it."

_"Are you sure?"_

"Yes, I'll do anything to save her. Even if it means I won't be able to see monsters anymore, go on quests, stay in Camp Half-Blood, or have to adopt a totally normal lifestyle, I'll just find some other way to be with her through everything. But, I won't let her die. Not while I can help it."

_"You truly are one unique demigod, Perseus Jackson."_ Ladon began to glow and all Percy saw was white. As the light began to fade, he saw two dragons. One had a bluish tint around him while the other had none.

The aurua around the dragon began to glow stronger as Percy and Annabeth exited the cave on Ladon's back. _"The copy is at it's strongest right now, but it's power will fade over time. I'm afraid there will be no way to restore your power after my clone dissipates."_

Percy nodded as the fly higher. He could feel the musky air become fresher as they climbed. He looked down at Annabeth in his arms. It didn't matter. As long as she was safe, he didn't care what he would have to sacrifice. His eyelids began to close as he pulled her closer to his torso. His breathing slowed and soon, he was asleep.

* * *

When Annabeth woke up, she almost thought she was dead. She sat up in a white bed. The air was clean and smelled of strawberries. She looked towards her wounded hand. It was still slightly swollen, but nothing that some rest wouldn't take care off.

"Welcome back, child!" Chiron trotted into the room with a warm smile on his face.

"Chiron!" She hugged her teacher and camp director. "What am I doing here?"

"You appeared back here a few days ago on the back of a dragon. Ladon, specifically. He told us that you had a rather nasty pit scorpion experience. We brought you back here to be treated and now you're awake."

She looked around, "Where's Percy?"

"He's outside the grounds. There have been some complications."

"What kind of complications?"

* * *

Percy had been resting underneath Thalia's tree when Annabeth had found him. However, she noticed that he was behind the boundary line. She took a breath. How far was this guy willing to go for her?

"Percy." The raven haired teen shot up and turned to see her.

"Annabeth," he breathed and pushed out his hand, only to have it caught by the camp's magical barrier.

She sighed sadly. So it was true, "I, Annabeth Chase, allow you to enter."

The barrier weakened and Percy came through.

"You're okay." He said, putting a hand to her cheek.

"Why did you do it? You know we need you for this war."

"That's why I had to save you. Because without you, I wouldn't have been able to do anything. I would have stayed in Tarturus until I died. You're the better strategist and you guys have plenty of good fighters. We needed you more than they needed me. I needed you."

Annabeth looked into Percy's eyes and then hugged him. "So, where will you go?"

"Probably back home. My mom will be so happy that she doesn't have to worry about me being killed by monsters anymore." He made an uneasy chuckle.

"Listen, no matter what happens. No matter if you're a demigod or not, I love you. I will always love you."

"I will always love you too. That's why I sacrificed my demigod-ness." Annabeth giggled at her boyfriend's attempt to make new words.

"Well, as soon as this war is over, I'm coming back to New York. And you are going to take me out on a proper date."

"Sure," he flashed a smile at her, "Just be sure not to bring the monsters."

Annabeth responded with a punch before pulling her boyfriend for his first kiss as a mortal.

* * *

**EDIT (8/5/13): Sequel is up!**


End file.
